Events

Little Kids Rock brought its annual Big Kids Rock! Battle of the Bands fundraiser to the Hard Rock Cafe in Chicago after successful events in both New York and San Francisco. Big Kids Rock is a battle of the bands-style event, which showcases three bands that feature prominent business leaders, and one student band, all of whom will perform in front of a panel of celebrity judges. The event was a huge success and will help expand music education programs in Chicago area schools.

Little Kids Rock, hosted its sixth annual benefit at the Hammerstein Ballroom at The Manhattan Center, which generated approximately $1.5 million in donations to help support students and music teachers in public schools with donated instruments, curricular resources and training. The benefit also honored Joan Jett as “Rocker of the Year” and featured performances from Jett, Alice Cooper, Billie Joe Armstrong, Cheap Trick, Tommy James, Kathleen Hanna with Ad-Rock, Darlene Love, Gary U.S. Bonds, Mike Ness, Jesse Malin, Brody Dalle, Jake Clemons, who was honored as “Big Man of the Year,” and our kids!

Little Kids Rock hosted its first annual Big Kids Rock! Battle of the Bands fundraiser in San Francisco at the Great American Music Hall. Big Kids Rock is a battle of the bands-style event, which showcased five bands that feature prominent business leaders, and one student band, all of whom performed in front of a panel of judges. The event raised more than raised more than $70,000 to expand music education programs in Bay Area public schools.

Little Kids Rock hosted its second annual Big Kids Rock! Battle of the Bands fundraiser at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square on Thursday, June 12. More than $92,500 was raised through ticket sales, raffles, and a “sponsor-a-school” donation portion of the program. The reigning champs The London Wail, defended their title against Zero Recall and Big House Groove and took home the trophy once again. A special performance by students enrolled in Little Kids Rock’s free music program at Grover Cleveland High School in Queens inspired the crowd into a giving frenzy, helping expand music programming in schools through the city.

The 2013 Right To Rock Benefit was an incredible success for Little Kids Rock students and soon-to-be Little Kids Rock students all across the nation!"Big Man of the Year" Darlene Love gave awesome performance after awesome performance, joined by special guests including Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, Paul Shaffer, Steven Van Zandt, Bill Medley, Jake Clemons and a backing band that rocked Cipriani Wall Street! Our kids performed their original music, and helped honor Darlene and Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International. Lots of supporters were in attendance and were treated to some first class music... so they treated our kids to some first class treatment! Over $800,000 was raised to help transform music education for thousands of children over the next school year.

Little Kids Rock held it's second annual "Rockin' The Bay Benefit" at Facebook HQ in Menlo Park, CA, but this year was extra special. In memory of Facebook's executive chef Josef Desimone, who spearheaded this event last year, Little Kids Rock presented the Livin The Dream Award to Metallica frontman James Hetfield! The event, which featured performances by Moonalice, Coverflow, and a star-studded rendition of Enter Sandman by Hetfield, Guitar Hero's Marcus Henderson, famed drummer Jeff Campitelli, Little Kids Rock board member Tim Chang and local students, raised more than $225,000 to restore and revitalize music education programs in Bay Area public schools.

On July 23, 2013, lots of "big kids"from some major corporations plugged in their instruments and rocked the Cutting Room in NYC to raise money to support Little Kids Rock. The nearly 500 supporters who packed the room helped raise more than $30,000 for Little Kids Rock to restore and revitalize music education programs in underfunded public schools. The 5th grade Little Kids Rock class from Mott Hall Community School in the Bronx opened the night with a lively set, followed by performances by The Regressions, Fifth of Bourbon, and the victors, London Wail.

The inaugural SF Bay Area Benefit event commemorated Little Kids Rock's 10th anniversary of bringing music education into the lives of disadvantaged children since forming in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2002. The event was hosted at Facebook's brand new headquarters in Menlo Park, CA and featured performances by our students, Sammy Hagar, Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver), Taboo (Black Eyed Peas) and Coverflow. READ MORE

The third annual Right to Rock Benefit was extra special because it was the first one after Clarence Clemons passed away. In proper fashion, his bandmate Steven Van Zandt and his wife Maureen hosted the event, and Clemons' wife Victoria presented the "Big Man of the Year Award" to Lady Gaga. Clemons' nephew and current sax player for the E Street Band, Jake Clemons, performed with Little Kids Rock students, as did Van Zandt, Billy Squier and Matt Whtie. READ MORE